**9. Conclusion**

*Urban Horticulture - Necessity of the Future*

Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai [20].

**Case study 2:** Rob Laing founded Farm.One in the year 2016 in order to grow

New York City. The first farm was set up at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in downtown Manhattan, and the second farm is in Tribeca. It uses hydroponics and LED lights and aims to grow rare produce every year. The company supplies rare herbs, edible flowers and microgreens to some of the best chefs in New York [19]. **Case study 3:** One of the world's first commercial vertical farms named Sky Greens was built in Singapore. This vertical farm produces one ton of vegetables every other day. Large varieties of tropical vegetables like Chinese cabbage, spinach, lettuce, xia bai cai, bayam, kang kong, cai xin, gai lan, and nai bai are grown. Sky Greens uses a hydraulic system called "A Go-Gro," which consists of 6-m-tall hydraulic waterdriven A-shaped towers. Each tower contains 22–26 tiers of growing troughs, and is spun around the aluminum frame at a speed of 1 mm/sec for a steady radiation of sunlight, proper air flow, and irrigation for all the edibles growing in the tower. The rotation system is powered by a unique gravity-aided water-pulley system that uses only 1 L of water per 16-hour cycle, which is collected in a rainwater-fed reservoir. The water used in powering the frames is recycled and filtered before returning to the plants. The organic wastes produced on the farm are composted and reused [19].

rare and hard-to-find produce to the chefs and restaurants in the middle of

**8. Concept of urban agriculture/vertical farming in India**

**8.1 Current scenario of urban agriculture/vertical farming in India**

farming and contributed rice and vegetables to the market [21].

irrigation to each pot through drip irrigation system [22].

India is one of the largest producers of fruits, vegetables, and many other agricultural products. In India, vertical farming has been introduced in recent times. Experts from Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) are working on the concept of "vertical farming" which can be implemented in metros like New Delhi,

Scientists at Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya in Nadia, West Bengal, had initial success on growing brinjal and tomato hydroponically on a small scale. Punjab also has succeeded in producing potato tubers through vertical farming [20]. In cities like Cuttack and Nagpur, the slum dwellers performed organic farming on terrace and plots and sold the surplus products to the local markets. In Delhi, on the fertile banks of Yamuna River, extensive farming is going on in spite of the fact that farmers do not have any legal sanction to do farming there. In Hyderabad, farmers living along the banks of Musi River use water from the river for urban

In the urban areas of Tripura, to help the youth for income generation, a prototype model on "vertical farming system" was developed. The area of the structure was about 630 sq. ft. with two floors and two galleries. The ground floor contained two cages (50 sq. ft. each) at both corners that accommodated 100 layer chicks. The central space (140 sq. ft) housed 200 bird broiler/layer chicks per batch. Eight goats were kept on the first floor (140 sq. ft.) area. There were also 12 rabbits kept in hanging cages (4 sq. ft. each). Proper drainage facility was provided to collect wastes with storage facility where it was decomposed and used for manuring the pots. Three *Azolla* tanks were constructed above the rabbit cages which were the source of nutrient to the goat as well as the birds. Ten benches (30 cm each) were kept on both sides of the structure which contained 160 pots for growing small fodder, vegetables, and spices. A water tank of 400 L capacity was also provided on top of the structure for storing water for animals and poultry and also providing

**164**

Urban farming, both vertical farming or farming on vacant open spaces, can be a favorable way for ensuring food security in India and around the world in the future. Although countries like Europe, the USA, and Singapore have already implemented vertical farming and are dealing with big projects for future concerns, India still has a long way to go as it is restricted to only few self-interest-driven projects. Institutional support, awareness of the benefits associated with urban agriculture, and financial and technological support from the government can only attract the city dwellers and help them to move forward with the concept of urban agriculture in India. Progressive growth of urban agriculture can act as an urban regeneration tool for the cities by providing social interaction and increasing job opportunities and environmental benefits to the urban areas across the globe. Thus, to combat the challenges associated with rapid increase in population, the topic of "urban agriculture" is being closely monitored by scientists, city planners, and the sustainable agricultural community for a better future.
